Bengaluru traffic police have expanded heavy vehicle restrictions on the Varthur-Gunjur stretch of State Highway 35 in east Bengaluru, barring trucks and other heavy goods vehicles during three daily time windows to reduce congestion affecting schoolchildren, buses and other commuters.
The restrictions now apply from 7am to 11am, 1pm to 3pm and 4pm to 9pm. The additional afternoon and evening slots cover school dispersal, bus movement and peak-hour traffic. Earlier, heavy vehicles were restricted on the corridor only between 7am and 11am.
Officials said the decision followed complaints about worsening congestion on the busy road. The restriction will remain in force until traffic conditions improve substantially, according to the police.
A traffic official said the road is narrow and has several T-junctions, limiting its ability to handle the current volume of vehicles. “Until traffic movement normalises and the road is widened to handle the current volume, these restrictions will continue,” the official said.
The Varthur-Gunjur road is a state highway and carries significant heavy vehicle traffic. Whitefield traffic police said the movement of trucks and other heavy vehicles contributes to bottlenecks, particularly at junctions and other choke points along the corridor.
“Considering the present road conditions, traffic volume and movement of schoolchildren, a decision was taken to restrict heavy vehicles during additional afternoon and evening slots as well,” a police officer told the Times of India.
The expanded timings are intended to keep heavy goods vehicles away from the corridor during periods when school traffic overlaps with regular commuter movement. The affected stretch connects the rapidly developing eastern Bengaluru areas around Varthur and Gunjur, where narrow roads and junction-level conflicts have increased pressure on daily travel.
Police teams have been stopping trucks and other heavy vehicles at entry points during the restricted hours. However, officers acknowledged that some vehicles entered the corridor before the restrictions took effect, indicating that enforcement will also depend on when vehicles approach the road and how entry points are monitored.
The new restrictions do not represent a permanent freight ban. They are a traffic-management measure linked to road capacity, congestion and safety concerns around school movement. Police said the timings would continue until traffic movement normalises and the road is widened to accommodate the volume currently using the corridor.
